30+ years on, there’s somehow nothing quite like an NES action game. From the soundtracks to the level design and airtight mechanics, classic NES games like Ninja Gaiden and Mega Man remain some of the absolute best the medium has to offer.

However, the NES library of action games is too extensive to be limited to those halls of fame-worthy examples. In fact, some of the best NES action games you’ve never played could easily rank among the best all time.

To get you started on that journey, here is a list of the 10 most underrated NES action games ever.

Shatterhand

Shatterhand‘s bizarre cover did it no favors, but beneath the strange packaging lies a truly great NES action game.

Bolstered by great level design and a truly unique upgrade system, Shatterhand nails core NES action game concepts before introducing just enough little touches to help it stand out from the pack.

Little Samson

While the visual design of this game may remind you of the excellent Little Nemo, it’s actually a thinly veiled knockoff of the Mega Man series.

What truly distinguishes Little Samson, though, is its character swap system. The ability to swap between different characters with different abilities (but shared resources) adds an element of depth to an already solid Mega Man-like experience.

Clash at Demonhead

Scott Pilgrim references aside, Clash at Demonhead absolutely deserves to be remembered among the best NES action games.

Clash at Demonhead‘s excellent visuals are reason enough to recommend it, but it’s the game’s open exploration level selection system that makes it stand out all these years later. Why didn’t other games borrow this title’s ideas?

Powerblade

It would be easy to forget about Powerblade if it wasn’t for the game’s truly brilliant boomerang weapon and combat system.

While the ability to attack in eight different directions isn’t a big deal now, Powerblade‘s incorporation of that feature put it far ahead of other action titles of its era as well as made it one of the more strangely accessible action games of this era.

Jackie Chan’s Action Kung-Fu

I’m as surprised as you are that there’s a Jackie Chan game for NES worth recommending, but here we are.

This game obviously doesn’t come close to recreating Chan’s brilliant fight scenes, but its stunning soundtrack, cute visuals, and martial arts side-scrolling combat make it an easy play that doubles as a somewhat strange historical footnote.

Low G Man

To be entirely honest with you, Low G Man’s stiff animations and bland visuals probably tell you all you need to know about why it’s not better remembered.

Yet, this game’s fascinating primary weapon (a long spear that behaves similarly to the cane in Ducktails) and varied combat design make it an often-overlooked oddity that at least deserves more of a cult following than it currently has.

Wizards and Warriors

As unbelievable as it is that an NES game made by Rare could ever be overlooked, Wizards and Warriors is just one of those titles you never hear anyone talk about.

Even though the game’s visuals and combat leave a lot to be desired, there’s an undeniable charm in the soundtrack and design concepts that invokes developer Rare at its best. Don’t make this the first NES game you revisit, but definitely check it out.

Bucky O’Hare

While Bucky O’Hare actually did garner quite a bit of acclaim in its day (it’s an NES game made by Konami after all), I’m not sure this game has ever really gotten the love it deserved.

Bucky O’Hare is a nearly perfect NES action game that’d I call the love child of Battletoads and Ducktales. It’s brutally difficult, but few NES action games feature the variety seen in this gem.

Metal Storm

Metal Storm has actually become slightly more popular thanks to the power of the internet, but it’s hardly a stretch to suggest that not enough of you have actually played this game.

Even if Metal Storm‘s combat can feel a little stiff at times, the title’s multi-level navigation gimmick adds an element of platforming brilliance to the affair that you don’t usually get from NES action games. Think of this more as a great NES platformer with a little action thrown in for flavor.

Updated: Original post date Jan. 28, 2021

Meet the newest entry to the #NintendoSwitch family! Nintendo Switch (OLED model) brings the versatility of the Nintendo Switch experience with a vibrant 7-inch OLED screen, a wide adjustable stand, and more. Nintendo Switch (OLED model) releases on 10/8.https://t.co/zRpGxakJDn pic.twitter.com/Tsc55r35ay

— Nintendo of America (@NintendoAmerica) July 6, 2021

For months leading up to the announcement, Nintendo kept tight-lipped regarding the new system despite a bevy of rumors suggesting its arrival was imminent. Many of those rumors suggested that Nintendo would reveal the model this past June at E3. When that didn’t happen, many fans feared that talks of what was then referred to as the “Switch Pro” were nothing but unfounded speculation.

Only days prior to the announcement at an investors meeting, Nintendo president Shuntaro Furukawa refused to answer why the model hadn’t been announced at E3.

“Our company uses Nintendo Direct to inform our customers about individual products at the appropriate time,” Furukawa said according to Kotaku.

“To achieve that,” he continued, “we are constantly developing hardware, software, dedicated peripherals, etc., but we refrain from making comments on specific products still in development.”

Apparently, the new system was only days away from finishing its development when Furukawa made his statement. It is certainly understandable why the Switch OLED model took so long in that development process, given the many new features it has to offer.

The OLED model’s hardware has been completely upgraded: while the original Switch model has a 6.2 inch LCD screen with an output of 1080p when docked, Nintendo’s new model boasts an impressive 1920×1080 resolution with a maximum frame rate of 60 fps, according to Nintendo’s website. And then there’s the OLED screen. For those unfamiliar with tech jargon, OLED screens are some of the highest quality screens to date, outperforming  LCDs, LEDs, and CRTs. According to Tech Radar, “compared to competing display types, OLED TVs bring you better image quality (think blacker blacks and brighter whites), reduced power consumption, and much fast response times – that last point being a great addition for any console or gaming TV too.”

The Switch OLED model also features a wide adjustable stand for tabletop mode, a new dock with a wired LAN port, 64GB of storage, and enhanced audio for both its handheld and tabletop modes.

The OLED model’s October 8 release date makes the new Switch available to consumers just in time for the holiday season. Switch players will have a nice selection of new titles to play on the system as well. Coinciding with the systems launch day is the release of the highly anticipated Metroid Dread. For those lucky enough to score a system during 2021’s holiday season, the even more hotly anticipated Pokemon Legends: Arceus will be available for purchase shortly thereafter on January 28, 2022.

There’s a Pokémon trading card frenzy happening right now that seems to have stemmed from folks being stuck at home for so long. Now, Target is pulling all Pokémon trading cards, as well as sports cards and presumably any entertainment cards, from their in-store shelves.

The move follows an unfortunate event that happened at a Target in Wisconsin, where a man was assaulted by four others over sports trading cards.

“The safety of our guests and our team is our top priority,” said Target.

Starting Friday, May 14 all MLB, NFL, NBA and Pokémon cards will be removed from shelves. The cards will be available, however, through Target.com.

Target had been limiting sales of cards to one pack per customer, and reserving the sales for early Friday mornings at 8:00 a.m. Apparently, fanatics had been attempting to sleep out at night to line up for cards. Target managers have been advised to call local police to disperse campers.

The secondary market for Pokémon and sports cards has exploded in the last year. There are numerous reports of cards being sent in by collectors for grading but not hearing back for weeks, or even months, about the status of their orders.

Recently, a Michael Jordan rookie card sold for $738k after selling for $215k just weeks before.

The removal of MLB, NFL, NBA and Pokémon cards from Target stores may only be temporary, but Target has not indicated when the cards would return.

“Given the significant interest in trading cards, we recently began limiting MLB, NBA, NFL and Pokémon purchases to one item per guest, per day, and asking guests not to lineup overnight. We’re continuing to evaluate the protocols we have in place to ensure safety at our stores related to this category.”

Recently, David Gibson, an investment adviser, attended Nintendo’s Q&A following their latest earnings report and delivered some information including the claim that the Switch was “barely in the middle” of its life cycle. Given that it was released just over three years ago, that would mean there are at least three years left before it’s replaced. What we don’t know, however, is when and how exactly that replacement process will occur.

The Nintendo Gamecube had a six-year lifespan from 2001 to 2007, but the success of the console was nowhere near that of its competitors. The PlayStation 2 dominated those years and beyond and of course is the top-selling console of all time. The followup to the GameCube, the Nintendo Wii, had much more success, making it sixth on that list with more than 100 million sales. With that success, the console still only lasted seven years until its successor, the Wii U, began production.

While the Wii U proved to be even less successful than the GameCube, it still lasted from 2012 to 2017 before the Switch came along. This seems to indicate that Nintendo has fairly rigid plans for the rollouts of their console hardware. If a console can sell practically eight times as many units as another from the company and only have a lifespan two years longer, the Switch’s outlook of 6 years doesn’t seem too outlandish.

Yet there’s another factor to consider here. The Switch also functions as a branch of Nintendo’s handheld department – especially with the Switch Lite in the mix. The Nintendo DS went seven years before the 3DS came along between 2004 and 2011. The 3DS continues with its full backward compatibility nine years later along with a wide variety of hardware variations on the market. The core design of the DS has essentially existed for sixteen years surpassing multiple other console generations.

The question here is whether Nintendo intends to highlight the Switch as the successor to the DS or keep it competing in the console wars a unique alternative (or addition) to the PlayStation and Xbox. Will they continue to innovate and power up the hardware as they have with each console generation, or will they iterate on the design with more refined improvements like the DS? Both have their pros and cons.

If in 2023 or beyond we get the successor to the Switch as a home console, it could build on the relatively limited power the Switch has to deliver higher fidelity and frame rate versions of favorites. It’s hard to conceive of what innovations Nintendo might attempt, but the company seems to strive for new creations like the Wii’s motion controls, the Wii U’s dual-screen based interface, and the Switch’s role as both handheld and console.

Yet, they could also choose to deliver a console that doubles down on the features of the Switch, like the 3DS. Increasing the power and capabilities of the system while also adding functionality like expanded motion controls or branching into VR.  It would allow them to expand further beyond the 3DS’s limited potential as a handheld and bring a wider variety of games to people on the go.  Giving players more options and backward compatibility with the Switch’s growing library of games could broaden the appeal of the console just like the 3DS.

Whatever the case is, Nintendo has more control over their future than ever before. Fans and newcomers alike are clamoring for more classic entries to franchises like Breath of the Wild 2, Metroid Prime 4, and potential re-released 3D Mario games. I’m sure by the time 2023 rolls around, Nintendo will have everything in place to do what it takes to continue their progress. Whether they can execute on that success is something historically few have been able to accurately predict.

What do you think Nintendo’s next move will before the Switch? Do you see it more like a home console, a handheld, or somewhere in between? Let us know in the comments!

With the upcoming release of the Nintendo Switch Lite and what it could mean for future Nintendo handhelds, we thought we’d take a look back at every Nintendo Handheld released until this point to see which are the best and which is the worst.

Just note that we have grouped together similar releases in instances where the two devices offered roughly the same experience plus or minus a few improvements. Generally speaking, though, yes, the XL models are better.

With that out of the way, here are the best and worst Nintendo handheld devices ever:

14. Nintendo 2DS (2013)

It feels pretty easy to call this the worst Nintendo handheld ever, even if it’s actually not all bad.

Still, with its awful slate design, bad battery life, and awful sound quality, this almost felt like a middle-finger from Nintendo to everyone who didn’t buy a 3DS. They said it was for kids, but we’re willing to bet 100% of kids would have taken a 3DS instead.

13. Game Boy Micro (2005)

To its credit, the Game Boy Micro had a brilliant backlit screen and many praise its interchangeable faceplates to this day. Good ideas went into the design of this device.

Unfortunately, not nearly enough good ideas went into the design of this device. It feels too small in most hands, was incompatible with the Nintendo e-Reader and other accessories, and (worst of all) didn’t feature backward compatibility options. Ultimately, it felt like a cash grab.

12. Nintendo Game and Watch Series (1980)

Nintendo’s Game and Watch series was a collection of handheld gaming devices that could only play single games. They’re important to the history of Nintendo and gaming. They even pioneered the modern D-Pad.

However, there’s really only so high we can put the Game and Watch devices considering just how woefully outdated they are. Still, they’re a significant piece of Nintendo’s hardware puzzle.

11. New Nintendo 2DS XL (2017)

You could certainly make the argument that this should be a spot or two higher on the list, but the fact is that the 2DS XL is what the 2DS should have been and it took Nintendo 4 years to get around to fixing the 2DS problem.

Still, the 2DS XL offered a slightly cheaper alternative to the 3DS for those who never cared about its 3D abilities. It doesn’t feature that terrible slate design and is comparable (if not equal) to the general quality of the 3DS.

10. Game Boy Advance SP (2003)

This is a tough system to rank. On the one hand, you’ve got to love the SP’s backlit screen, rechargeable battery, and Nintendo’s attempt at a smaller design.

On the other hand, the device’s lack of a traditional headphone jack (hello, Apple) is a killer, the SP’s shoulder buttons are awkward, and the overall design of the device just never felt quite right.

9. Nintendo 3DS (2011)/Nintendo 3DS XL (2012)

At the end of the day, expectations were high for the 3DS, and the console’s 3D capabilities proved to be a questionable gimmick that few companies really took advantage of. The original models’ battery life was also pretty bad.

Still, there were quite a few things to love about the 3DS design, and the device rarely suffered from a lack of good games.

8. Game Boy Pocket (1996)

Nowadays, it’s hard to imagine Nintendo taking seven years to release a new version of one of their devices only for that new version’s biggest feature to be “it’s smaller than the original.”

Of course, its size made the Pocket a near essential upgrade for Game Boy owners while the fact that the device only required two batteries instead of four was a blessing to parents (and kids) everywhere.

7. New Nintendo 3DS (2014)/3DS XL (2015)

Your feelings towards these handhelds are going to depend largely on your feelings towards the Nintendo 3DS. If you just don’t like the 3DS, these upgrades probably didn’t change your mind.

It’s hard to argue that Nintendo could have released a better 3DS than this, though. Its additional controls, better overall design, and increased power addressed many of the 3DS’ biggest issues aside from questions concerning the 3D feature itself.

6. Nintendo DSi (2008)/Nintendo DSi XL (2009)

We’re going to gush about our love of the DS here in a bit, but generally speaking, the DSi line was a better version of a great device that even featured the revolutionary addition of the DSi Shop.

Sadly, these handhelds lacked the DS’ GBA slot (which restricted some backward compatibility) and their included cameras were nice, but incredibly weak.

5. Game Boy Color (1998)

Again, we’re not sure if it should have taken Nintendo almost a decade to release a color variant of the Game Boy, but the industry was different back then.

The Game Boy Color quickly became a must-have, especially as Pokemon took over the world. While Nintendo maybe could have done more with it, this was an essential purchase in its day.

4. Game Boy Advance (2001)

The Game Boy Advance was an incredible leap forward for the Game Boy brand with its SNES-like games, great design, and backward compatibility. It was the true successor to the Game Boy.

Unfortunately, it also had some infamously bad lighting problems which became something of a running joke. That brings us to…

3. Game Boy Light (1998)

Released only in Japan for reasons that remain somewhat mysterious, the Game Boy Light is considered by many to be the best Game Boy of its era and one of the best ever made.

Why? Well, the answer is in the name. The Game Boy Light featured a built-in backlight that worked incredibly well, barely affected the battery life, and made the device only slightly larger than the Pocket. It makes it all the more curious why the Game Boy Advance didn’t have a built-in light.

2. Game Boy (1989)

As the most legendary handheld ever made, you knew the Game Boy was going to be somewhere high on this list.

The Game Boy’s absurdly long shelf life and stunning collection of games defy all modern expectations of how long a device can stay on top.

1. Nintendo DS (2004)/Nintendo DS Lite (2006)

Let’s just be quick about this.

The Nintendo DS sported a beautiful design, the best library of any handheld ever, brilliant touch screen functionality, and was even backward compatible. It’s no surprise that this is the best-selling video game device ever made.

The 3DS is destined to become one of Nintendo’s most divisive devices of all-time.

On the one hand, the 3DS was considered to be something of a disappointing follow-up to the legendary Nintendo DS when it launched in 2011. The console’s 3D features proved to be a limited gimmick, its initial library was lacking heavy hitters, and the hardware itself was burdened by some questionable design decisions.

Still, numerous revisions to the 3DS, refinements to/a de-emphasis on its 3D elements, and a steady influx of good to great games eventually helped the 3DS become a success by most metrics. With over 75 million units sold between all models, Nintendo ultimately has to be proud of what the 3DS accomplished.

Now, it’s time that they rescue many of the device’s best games by bringing them to the Nintendo Switch.

See, the legacy of the 3DS isn’t just about its sales figures, its hardware upgrades, or even the overall quality of its game library. It’s also about the era that the 3DS was released in.

The 3DS’ slow start meant that it only started picking up steam around the same time that many casual gamers were turning to their smartphones for their gaming needs. Despite the 3DS’ many qualities, the fact remained that many people were hesitant to spend hundreds of dollars on a standalone handheld gaming device and hundreds more on games to play on the device. The discrepancy between the Nintendo DS’ sales figures (about 154 million) and the 3DS’ sales figures reveal that many people never experienced the 3DS at all.

Opinions vary on the 3DS, but the one thing that’s hard to deny is that it offered handheld experiences that were more complex than many mobile games yet not just ports of games you could play on consoles. The best 3DS games were the type of experiences that you’d only get on handheld gaming devices. They didn’t really have a home anywhere else.

That’s why I use the word “rescue” when I talk about Nintendo bringing 3DS games to the Nintendo Switch. Nintendo certainly “rescued” some Wii U titles by upgrading them for the Nintendo Switch, but that’s because the Wii U sold historically poorly. The situation with the 3DS is different. Nintendo would be rescuing its games by offering these unique handheld experiences to a group of gamers who perhaps never had the chance to experience them before due to the changing nature of the industry.

We’re really not even talking about that many games. Even if you cut out some titles that already exist in other forms on the Switch, you’re still left with games like Mario and Luigi: Dream Team, Super Mario 3D Land, and especially The Legend of Zelda: A Link Between Worlds that are currently only (legally) playable on the Nintendo 3DS. These are games that are doomed to become lost if they’re not rescued.

Nintendo has historically liked to keep their handheld and console games separate, and they’ve recently been slow in regards to unveiling a plan that would allow Switch gamers access to the Nintendo back catalog. Yet, in the case of the 3DS, it’s time for them to re-examine both of these policies. The Nintendo Switch (and the Nintendo Switch Lite) represents the perfect modern device for some classic handheld games that got swept beneath the constantly moving wheel of time.

On paper, the Nintendo Switch Lite is one of the strangest devices that Nintendo has released in recent years. As a handheld-only device, it doesn’t even make sense to call it a Switch beyond the obvious name recognition factors. After all, the Switch name stems from its ability to be used as a console, handheld device, and as a multiplayer on-the-go gaming peripheral.

This is where many people will counter that the Nintendo Switch Lite isn’t really meant for people who own a Nintendo Switch, which is probably true. Unlike hardware upgrades like the PS4 Pro and Xbox One X, there’s little need for anyone who doesn’t just like the newest pieces of tech to invest in a Nintendo Switch Lite.

However, the more you look at the Nintendo Switch Lite, the more you realize that it’s probably not just for people who don’t already own a Nintendo Switch. There’s actually a pretty good chance that it’s an elaborate test run for whether or not Nintendo plans on making another handheld device anytime in the near future.

The Nintendo Switch Lite has three advantages: Its lower price (comparatively), its lightweight/smaller design, and the fact it supports the ample Nintendo Switch library. Since some of the games in that library can’t actually be played on the Nintendo Switch Lite, you could even argue it has two or two-and-a-half advantages.

What’s interesting about those advantages is how closely they adhere to Nintendo’s stance on the relevancy of their handheld gaming line. In an interview with Bloomberg, ex-President of Nintendo America Reggie Fils-Aime argued that the affordability and accessibility of handheld devices help get kids and families into video games. That reply came in response to questions regarding whether Nintendo had intentions of ending the 2DS/3DS line.

However, the more telling statements from Fils-Aime may have come in 2016 when he stated to Engadget that Nintendo’s increasing interest in mobile games stems from their desire to reach a wider audience who may not have easy access to even affordable Nintendo handheld products. He specifically cited Brazil where various tariffs and taxes turn a $200 3DS into a $600 purchase. Fils-Aime may no longer be with Nintendo, but others have echoed that sentiment/figures.

This begs the question: If Nintendo’s fondness for handheld devices stems from their accessibility and there exists a more accessible medium for games-on-the-go, would Nintendo really invest in more handheld hardware in the future?

We really can’t know the answer to that question beyond any doubt, but you do get the feeling that’s the real purpose of the Nintendo Switch Lite. Somewhere at Nintendo, there is probably a sheet with a magic number on it that relays how many units the Nintendo Switch Lite would have to sell in order to be considered a success. If that number is reached and perhaps even greatly surpassed, then Nintendo may indeed come to believe that there’s still a significant number of people out there who will buy a handheld device designed only (or largely) for gaming that is separate from their mobile devices.

However, what happens if that number isn’t reached? To be frank, would incentive would Nintendo have to consider ever releasing another handheld-only piece of hardware again as long as mobile devices and mobile gaming remain as relatively popular as they are?

You might say that Nintendo could always release a “Lite” alternative if their next-gen console resembles the Nintendo Switch, but who is to say it will? Nintendo is infamous for trying new ideas with next-gen pieces of hardware, and if the Wii’s success wasn’t enough to inspire Nintendo to make a system called the Wii U virtually the same concept, what makes us confident that the Switch will get a direct successor?

That could mean that the Switch Lite may indeed be the last handheld-only gaming device that Nintendo releases. At the very least, it’s a fantastic Trojan horse that will cut through the waves of nostalgia and sentiment in order to get to the heart of whether or not people still want dedicated handheld gaming devices.

For one, the Lite won’t be able to connect to TVs via USB-C or HDMI. While some may not see this as a problem, others may miss the value in using the Nintendo Switch as a traditional gaming console connected to a big screen. In fact, Nintendo describes the device as “dedicated to handheld play.”

However, local wireless connections will still allow the linking up to eight Nintendo Switch and Nintendo Switch Lite systems together to play multiplayer games. And, online play with others will still be offered with a Nintendo Switch Online membership.

Another feature you might miss is the lack of detachable Joy-Con controllers, which, in addition to being stationary will not support rumble or IR motion sensors.

The other downside is the Switch Lite reduces the display size down to 5.5-inch from the 6.2-inch screen we are used to. While the difference doesn’t seem like much on paper, it’s a mile when talking mobile devices of this size.

For game compatibility, the Switch Lite will play any Nintendo Switch games that work in handheld mode.

The Switch Lite adds battery power (3 – 7 hours, improved slightly from 2.5 – 6.5 hours), weighs less (.61 lbs vs. .88 lbs), and is of course smaller (8.2” x 8.2” vs. 4” x 9.4”. The depth (or thickness) of the Lite stays the same at .55″.

Other features still available include the headhphone jack (although Bluetooth hasn’t been added yet). And, the Lite adds a traditional D-pad replacing the buttons used for the Joy-Cons on the standard Switch model.

The Nintendo Switch Lite launches on Sept. 20 and will be available in grey, yellow, and turquoise. A Pokemon Limited Edition will also be available.

Just after the Super Mario Maker 2 Nintendo Direct, two deals were presented to the audience.  The first was a decent deal that allowed you to bundle a year of Nintendo Switch Online to your Super Mario Maker 2 preorder for an extra $10.  Nintendo hasn’t been shy about their efforts to try to get Nintendo Online on as many Switches as possible after it’s lackluster launch and subsequent poor performance in many games, so wasn’t much of a surprise.  What ended up catching many people off guard was the introduction of the Nintendo Switch Game Voucher system, which seemed uncharacteristic for a company that rarely lowers prices on first party games.  However, when you start digging into it, the deal really isn’t as good as they make it sound.

$20 in, $20 out

The first problem here is that the vouchers are only available if you have Nintendo Switch Online.  That, at its cheapest overall price for an individual, is $20 a year.  So, the $20 savings from the vouchers is already lost on that.  There is value, however, in that original $20 investment for online play, especially if you want to partake in the fun of Tetris 99 or some classic NES games (or play some laggy Smash online).  Even if you already have Nintendo Switch Online and have gotten value from that cost, that’s not the only issue with the price of this “deal.”

The Price is Wrong

On paper, the idea of spending $100 and getting $120 worth of games is great.  It’s the fulcrum upon which this entire scheme hinges. But, when you look at the details things start to seem much more unsteady.

First of all, the games that are currently eligible are limited to a certain pool.  Some of the games on this list are already $49.99 (Bayonetta and 1-2-Switch, as examples) which immediately strip away part of the discount.  The limitation of the list also allows them to exclude games where you might bundle season passes and doesn’t allow you to use any other deals or discounts in the process.  Then, of course, there’s the elephant in the room, the fact that many of these games have either had or currently have a discount on their physical version.

Digital Killed the Physical Star

Digital games have become the cornerstone of the gaming industry.  They dominate the PC market almost entirely.  Physical media drives are disappearing from PCs every day.  Yet on consoles, the market has stayed strong for a variety of reasons.  The strongest reason is that console gamers love to have the flexibility of trading in and selling their games.  This is a negative aspect for game publishers as every game sold from one player to another is a game for which they can’t sell another new copy.  Nintendo Switch Vouchers only allow you to purchase digital versions of these games.  With this, you’re not only losing your ability to sell or trade games, but you’re relegating yourself to filling up the system’s extremely limited storage space.  In fact, if you were to just get Breath of the Wild and Hyrule Warriors with these two vouchers (both of which are currently under $50 each from Walmart), you’ve already filled up 27 GB of your 32 GB internal storage.  When you stack an additional $20+ for another SD card on top of the $100 vouchers, you’re back to not getting much of a deal.

How to Make This a Deal

There are a couple of key things you need to do in order to make the Nintendo Switch Voucher system worthwhile.  The first is to have two games you want to preorder or buy release within the next year.  The vouchers expire in one year, so it’s important that they either be available to purchase or preorder (and on the list) within that time frame.  This will ensure you, at the very least, get $120 worth of games for that $100.  The second most important thing to do is to buy discounted Nintendo gift cards.  There are plenty of places online where these gift cards are 10% or even 20% off.  By taking advantage of that, you can essentially get two full price games (potentially) for $80.  At that price, the many problems with the system become less… problematic.

Sure, you’re still going to have to make sure you have your Nintendo Switch Online subscription going both when you purchase the vouchers and when you use them, but for a certain subset of people who are willing to put in a little bit more effort and have the available storage, this can work out well.  Considering I personally have sold two first party games I preordered for my switch (ARMS and Mario Tennis), I don’t think I’ll commit to many digital game preorders.  However, I may find myself working this system to my advantage if I find two games I know, for certain, I will want to keep in the near future.